The first for Fern Britton's debut novel "Hidden Treasures" for Harper Collins showing a Cornish village square and the second for "Stringer, A Reporter's Journey in the Congo" by Anjan Sundaram published by Penguin India.

This is an exciting new project for a new chain of hotels located in Europe, my brief to draw maps showing the city and various places of interest, this is the first one, Dresden.

I've had a little break from posting but only because I've been quite busy work-wise, so here's an update... a nice job for Brighton and Hove City Council, a healthy eating guide for young children featuring lots of fruit and vegetables.

An endpaper map for Harper Collins - a book about the mysterious stone ring at Avebury.

Another map for Traveller Magazine depicting Lamu off the East African coast.And last but not least a illustration of George Eliot which has been used for the cover of a new biography by Brenda Maddox for Harper Collins. I will include a photo of the cover with the colouring which the designer has added when it arrives in the post.

This is for the Spa supplement in March's Conde Nast Traveller. Again, the illustration had to fit into a tiny space so, as I had my trusty dip pen out, I used the same style as for "Spoonful of Sugar". It's to illustrate a piece about spas suitable for mothers-to-be, teenagers and mothers and toddlers.

The pen nib I used for all these ink drawings was from Cornelissens. I still had some nibs from my student days which I'd bought from "The Nib Man" who could be found in his domain at the back of the shop. I think he's now sadly passed away, he isn't there anymore at least, but lots of the nibs he used to sell still are. I was there recently stocking up on paintbrushes for my next Campbell children's book and thought I'd venture to the back of the shop. You're allowed to poke about in all the old wooden drawers and pick out whatever pen related treasures you want. I recognised a nib which I have and like to use so asked if they had any more. The assistant came back from the stock room with 3 of the nibs. Because they were made so long ago, those were the only 3 left in existence. So I bought them all and now feel like their custodian. They are engraved "Figaro Pen" No. 208.It brought back nice memories of the old Nib Man and how he'd delight in telling us eager students all about each different shape of nib and which famous illustrators (Ralph Steadman was one) would come in and buy their favourites. Then he'd show us original artwork from each of them drawn especially for him as gifts and signed by them. I wonder if the Nib Man still looks down on his nibs to see what each one is doing and who it's with.......